| |
| Note |
|
This expendable launch
vehicle and payload processing status will be issued
weekly. It will provide the status of upcoming NASA
missions scheduled for launch aboard expendable launch
vehicles. For additional information on NASA ELV
launches, visit: http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/elvnew/elv.htm.
|
| |
|
TDRS-J
|
| Mission |
Tracking
and Data Relay Satellite-J |
| Launch
Vehicle |
Lockheed
Martin Atlas IIA (AC-144) |
| Launch
Pad |
Launch
Complex 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
| Launch
Date |
November
22, 2002 NET |
| Launch
Window |
10:29
p.m. - 11:09
p.m. EST |
|
| |
|
Status
(processing
notes)
|
 The
TDRS-J spacecraft is at the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation
Facility-2 in the KSC Industrial Area. Additional testing
of the TDRS-J single access antenna was determined to
be unnecessary and loading of the fuel and oxidizer began
on Tuesday. The activity has been going well and was completed
today. Encapsulation of the spacecraft into the Atlas
payload fairing is tentatively scheduled for next week.
At Pad A on Launch Complex 36, the vehicle's Wet Dress
Rehearsal was completed successfully on Wednesday, Nov.
6. This is a countdown with the vehicle fully fueled with
liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP-1 propellants. The
final test will be the Composite Electrical Readiness
Test (CERT) which occurs after TDRS-J has been mated to
the launch vehicle. This will verify that the vehicle
and spacecraft are operating on an integrated basis.
The Simulated Flight test (Sim Flight) was successful
on Oct. 25. This is an electrical test of the vehicle
systems during simulated powered flight from launch through
spacecraft separation.
NASA and Lockheed Martin are assessing the failure of
an upper stage turbo pump that occurred during testing
at the vendor. It is associated with a different launch
system but the upper stage engine is similar to what is
on AC-144. Some additional time is necessary to complete
the analysis, so the launch is now scheduled for no earlier
than Nov. 22. NASA and Lockheed Martin are optimistic
that AC-144 will be cleared for launch. |
| |
|
ICESAT
/ CHIPSAT
|
| Mission |
Ice,
Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite / Cosmic Hot
Interstellar Spectrometer |
| Launch
Vehicle |
Boeing
Delta II with Reduced Height Dual Payload Attach
Fitting (DPAF) |
| Launch
Pad |
SLC-2W,
Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) |
| Launch
Date |
December 19, 2002 |
| Launch
Window |
4:45
- 5:30
p.m. PST |
|
| |
|
Status
(processing
notes)
|
At
the Astrotech Space Operations Payload Processing Facility,
ICESAT battery conditioning starts today and will last
12 days. The two-day spacecraft fueling operation begins
Nov. 18. The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System functional
test and a solar array illumination test have been successfully
completed. The instruments on ICESAT have been developed
by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)
under a contract with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
Also at Astrotech, CHIPSAT has successfully completed
spacecraft functional testing. It is being installed on
the Payload Adapter Assembly and Payload Adapter Fitting
today. "Install before flight" items and removal of "red
tag" items begins on Friday, Nov. 8.
Meanwhile, at Space Launch Complex 2, the power-on testing
of the Boeing Delta II was completed successfully. The
main propulsion system leak checks are underway and will
be completed on Friday. On November 14, a Crew Certification
(Crew Cert) will be held. This is a countdown to exercise
the launch team and the first stage will be loaded with
liquid oxygen. A Simulated Flight (Sim Flight) which is
a flight test of the vehicle's electrical and mechanical
systems will follow on November 18.
The first stage of the Delta was erected on Oct. 22, the
solid rocket motors were erected on Oct. 24, and the second
stage was erected on Oct. 25.
There are no issues or concerns with the two spacecraft
or the Boeing Delta II launch vehicle and launch is on
schedule for Thursday, Dec. 19 at 4:45 p.m. PST.
|
| |
| Mission |
Solar
Radiation and Climate Experiment |
| Launch
Vehicle |
Pegasus
XL |
| Launch
Pad |
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
| Launch
Date |
January
25, 2003 NET |
| Launch
Time |
3:10
p.m. - 4:08
p.m. EST |
| |
|
Status
(processing
notes)
|
On
the Pegasus launch vehicle, additional time
will be necessary to check torque values on
fasteners associated with the fin actuators
and the thrust vector control system. The
stages must be de-mated for access to these
components. The ferry to KSC using the Orbital
Sciences L-1011 aircraft is anticipated to
occur during the third week of December. Three
Flight Simulation tests are planned at KSC
prior to launch.
Processing of SORCE, built by the Orbital
Sciences Space Systems Group, has been going
well since its arrival at the Kennedy Space
Center on Oct. 26. In the Multi-purpose Payload
Processing Facility (MPPF), the spacecraft
Limited Performance Test, a 16-hour electrical
test of the satellite was successfully completed.
A solar array lighting test was also successfully
performed this week and the spacecraft's batteries
have been charged. There are no spacecraft
issues or concerns.
The SORCE project is managed by NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center. The instruments on the
SORCE spacecraft are built by the Laboratory
for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP).
|
|
|
|
The Kennedy
Space Center (KSC) Newsroom offers an electronic subscription
service for status reports, news releases and other notices
issued from KSC. There are two possible ways to subscribe.
You may send a blank e-mail message to ksc-news_release-subscribe@kscnews.ksc.nasa.gov
or follow the instructions on the Web site at http://kscnews.ksc.nasa.gov.
The system will confirm the request via e-mail.
|
|
|
